January 2026 Protests: Morteza Kiani Sentenced to Prison

HRANA – Morteza Kiani, one of those arrested during the 2025 nationwide protests in Izeh, has been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Izeh to six months and one day in prison.

Based on information received by HRANA, the verdict was recently issued by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court of Izeh and communicated to his attorney, Hossein Ali Hatami. Mr. Kiani was sentenced to six months and one day in prison on the charge of “assembly and collusion against national security.”

A source familiar with the case and close to Mr. Kiani’s family told HRANA: “The court applied mitigating provisions, including notes related to Article 286 of the Islamic Penal Code, and, having found no evidence of more serious national security offenses, imposed a reduced sentence below the statutory minimum for the charge of assembly and collusion. As a result, Mr. Kiani was sentenced to six months and one day in prison.”

Previously, an indictment had been issued against the detained protester on charges of insulting the Supreme Leader, propaganda against the regime, and assembly and collusion against national security. He was acquitted of the first two charges during the initial trial proceedings.

Morteza Kiani was released from detention on January 27, 2026, after posting bail set at 500 million tomans. He had been arrested by security forces on January 1, 2026, during nationwide protests in the city of Izeh.

It should be noted that protests and strikes by shopkeepers and bazaar merchants began in Tehran on Sunday, December 28, 2025, and within two days spread beyond markets and commercial centers. With the participation of students, citizens, and various social groups, these protests became one of the largest protest movements of recent years. Following the crackdown by security and law enforcement forces, thousands were killed or injured, and tens of thousands were arrested or summoned by security agencies. For more information, readers may refer to HRANA’s comprehensive report titled “Crimson Winter,” documenting the first fifty days following the outbreak of Iran’s nationwide protests.

Abbas Zangeneh-Nezhadi Sentenced to Imprisonment

HRANA– Abbas Zangeneh-Nezhadi, a resident of Ramhormoz, has been sentenced to one year in prison by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court. The sentence has been suspended for two years.

This ruling was issued by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court and was recently communicated to Mr. Zangeneh-Nezhadi’s lawyer, Hossein Ali Hatami.

Based on the ruling, he was sentenced to one year in prison on the charge of propaganda against the regime. The sentence has been suspended for two years. Additionally, Mr. Zangeneh-Nezhadi was acquitted of the charges of membership in an insurgent group and collaboration with hostile states.

The court session to review this citizen’s charges was held in May of this year at Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court.

Abbas Zangeneh-Nezhadi, a resident of Ramhormoz County, was arrested in March 2024 and released after about 50 days on bail.

Following Sentence Consolidation, Shahab Nazari’s Prison Term Increased to 10 Years

HRANA– After the request for sentence consolidation was approved, the Khuzestan Province Court of Appeals increased the prison sentence of Shahab Nazari, a political prisoner held in Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz, to 10 years. He had previously been sentenced to a total of 4 years and 91 days in two separate cases.

According to a ruling issued by Branch 14 of the Khuzestan Court of Appeals, Mr. Nazari has been sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison on four charges. The court sentenced him to five years in prison for the most severe charge, “blasphemy.” He was also sentenced to two years for “spreading falsehoods,” two years for “insulting the Supreme Leader,” and one year for “propaganda against the regime.”

This verdict was issued on July 29, 2025, and was recently communicated to Mr. Nazari’s lawyer, Hossein Ali Hatami.

On Wednesday, April 24, 2025, Shahab Nazari was transferred to Sheiban Prison in Ahvaz after appearing at the Sentence Enforcement Office of the Ahvaz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office.

Nazari, 24-year-old resident of Izeh, was arrested on April 22, 2023, by security forces in Ahvaz and was eventually released on bail of 500 million tomans from Sheiban Prison on May 21, 2023.

Previously, Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court had sentenced him to two years in prison for “insulting the Supreme Leader” and one year for “propaganda against the regime,” totaling three years of imprisonment. This verdict was upheld in full by Branch 14 of the Khuzestan Court of Appeals. Based on Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, two years of this sentence are enforceable.

Additionally, in a separate part of the same case, Mr. Nazari was sentenced by Branch 2 of the Ahvaz Criminal Court to one year and 91 days in prison for “spreading falsehoods.” This sentence was also upheld in full by the Khuzestan Court of Appeals.